1. Field of the Present Disclosure
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a detachable reconfigurable modular pocket assemblage, for the insertion of therapeutic packs, exercise weights, and a variety of other items.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of pockets is known in the prior art. More specifically, pockets on: Belts U.S. Pat. No. D518, 953; pouches U.S. Pat. No. D388, 611; backpacks U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,109,495; 7,959,048; 8,066,164; body packs U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,016,629; 5,336,255; diaper bag U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,803; sports bag U.S. Pat. No. D638,625; tool bags U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,834; handbags U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,515; shoulder strap and waist belt bag U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,214; mittens and gloves U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,970,081; 5,050,596; 5,187,814; 7,451,496; wearing apparel U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,648,325; 3,476,102; 5,826,273; 6,178,559; 7,464,413; 6,839,917; 8,032,951; D417,282; bandage U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,556,055; 4,846,176; and, slings U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,997.
The aforementioned prior art is known to consist of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements, but they have the shortcomings of not being a multifunctional assemblage, that can be detached and reconfigured for other uses.
Outdoor activities, particularly those participated in during the hotter times of the year, may lead to overheating, fatigue, excessive perspiring, and other related discomforts. It is a known fact that cool compresses or other such cooling devices can relieve many of the symptoms related to overheating and preventing consequences that are more serious. U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,096, to Fuchs, is a temperature control vest for use in providing cooling for workers subject to extreme temperature work environments.
The temperature control vest includes chest-covering pieces and a back-covering piece that are connected by adjustable straps that run over the shoulders of the user and lacing assemblies that pass around the sides of the user. The chest-covering pieces include detachable panels for holding separate replaceable ice sheets in separate compartments. The main objective of this prior art is to provide a temperature control vest with a simple design that allows for the insertion of ice sheets. The temperature control vest is not multifunctional or reconfigurable.
It has long been an accepted medical practice to apply cooling elements such as ice to ease body discomforts, because cold packs accelerates and enhances the healing process. In the case of injuries, the optimum time to begin cooling a traumatized area of the body is immediately after the incident occurs. Cold packs relieve muscular aches and pains caused by activities requiring extended use of the arms and legs, such activities include therapeutic massage, data entry, jogging and running.
The value of heat treatments for easing or preventing pain in muscle tissue is a well established practice. For example, muscles that tend to cramp, benefit from the application of heat before strenuous exercise to enrich the blood supply to the appropriate areas. Localized injury or pain, which may be caused by torn muscles and connective tissues, has been therapeutically treated using heat, because heat speeds and enhances the healing process.
There are various products on the market to apply heat treatments to the human body. Pockets, holders, pouches, hot water bottles, bags and the like, are used in combination with heat and serve as a barrier between the heat application and the user's skin. There have been many improvements in the application of heat treatments, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,025 to Schooley shows a hot or cold pack, which wraps around a portion of the body by the use of hook and pile fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,936 to McCormick, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,684 to Lebold, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,358 to Westplate, describe therapeutic hot or cold packs having compartments that fastened to a body by the use of straps. However, the aforementioned prior art does not have the advantages of being a single assemblage that is, affordable, convenient, detachable, modular, reconfigurable, and multipurpose.
There are two main benefits to using weighted packs for fitness purposes. First, they offer a form of resistance training where the user's muscles are forced to work harder than usual in order to stimulate muscle growth. Secondly, weighted packs can aid in the development of muscle strength because the user is often able to perform repetitious, exercises while wearing the pack. The advantages of a weighted pack specifically designed for the general and aging population to use as a training tool which provides these two benefits simultaneously, would be significant. Muscle strength allows a person especially the aging population to keep and maintain a strong vibrant body and it plays a large role in the lives of those who desire independent living and mobility. U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,569 to Del Monte relates to belts in general and to weighted belts in particular. This is a single function weighted belt assemblage, worn on top of or integrated into the protective pants by hockey players.
There are many general use assemblages with pockets, some with waist belts, some with shoulder straps, some with a chamber, and there are many that have both waist belts and shoulder straps, with either removable or fixedly attached shoulder straps or waist belts, and many bags with loops and hooks, for attachment or securing purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,157 to Willows, is a waist pack that includes a sleeve for securely retaining a bottle or other containers while at the same time allowing for convenient removal and replacement. However, this prior art appears to be a single function assemblage.
Objectives and Advantages
One of the objectives of the applicant of the illustrated embodiments is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Arrangements of other devices may appear at first to have similarities with the illustrated embodiments, but they differ in material respects. It is believed that none of the prior art devices achieves the convenience, versatility, and economy, provided by the illustrated embodiments. The unique placement of releasable mating attachments such as hooks and loops, provides features that the prior art does not provide in a single assemblage.
In some respects the detachable, reconfigurable, modular assemblage of pockets, according to the illustrated embodiments substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. This assemblage of pockets provides an apparatus that has combined the features of the illustrated embodiments to provide one assemblage that is, a reconfigurable therapeutic assemblage, a reconfigurable weighted exercise pack assemblage, and a reconfigurable general use assemblage.
Accordingly, the main objective of the illustrated embodiments is to construct a multi functional pocket assemblage that has a modular design that is detachable and reconfigurable.
Several other objectives and advantages of the illustrated embodiments are:
(1) To provide an assemblage of pockets for the insertion of hot or cold packs for therapeutic use on the body.
(2) To provide an assemblage in which cooling packs can be inserted and used by people who spend time in the heat.
(3) To provide an assemblage for the insertion of heat packs for people who spend time in the cold.
(4) To provide an assemblage of pockets which can be used as a hot sweat wrap when heat packs are inserted into the pockets.
(5) To provide an assemblage of pockets for the insertion of weight packs and used for strengthening, and rehabilitating muscles of the body.
(6) To provide a pocket assemblage, for carrying items that need to remain cold or warm such as water, sports drinks, and certain medicines.
(7) To provide a multi use assemblage with pockets, for such items as a cell phone, keys, a wallet, glasses, and first aid items.
Other Advantages of the Illustrated Embodiments are:
(8) They are lightweight.
(9) They are comfortable.
(10) They are easy to clean.
(11) They are easy to store.
(12) They are reusable.
(13 They are not restrictive when used on the body
(14) They are affordable.
(15) Low shipping and handling cost.
(16) Hot/cold pack inserts are available in stores.
(17) A person can make the ice, heat and weight pack inserts.
(18) Each section of the assemblage can be used separately.
(19) They can be reconfigured and used as a: Arm sling, backpack, and chest pack, vest, foot chamber or wrap, arm wrap, leg wrap, hand chamber or wrap, finger chamber or wrap, neck wrap, head wrap, chin wrap, waist wrap, hand bag, shoulder bag, fanny pack carrier, heating pad, ice pad, therapeutic pillow and a therapeutic mat.
These and other objectives of the illustrated embodiments are accomplished by means of the present device, which comprises a chamber with pockets, shoulder straps with pockets, and waist straps with pockets.
A detachable reconfigurable modular pocket assemblage is configured when connecting the shoulder straps and the waist straps to the chamber panels. The parts are reconfigurable in that they can be detached and used for other purposes.
Due to its design, and the strategic placement of mating attachments such as hooks and loops, the illustrated embodiments are able to provide more functions than most other devices that are available today.
These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the illustrated embodiments will be evident, by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.